Universal mounting and parallel guidance arrangement for a window screening device

ABSTRACT

The mounting and parallel guidance arrangement comprises a mounting bar ( 1 ) designed for releasable interconnection with the bottom bar of the screening device and having a through-going hollowness, two parallel guidance cords ( 2, 3 ), each being led through said mounting bar and comprising end parts which protrude from each end of the mounting bar, and installation brackets ( 4-7 ) for the free end of each of the end parts. The two installation brackets ( 4, 6; 5, 7 ) for a cord are meant to be fastened at the top of a first main frame or sash side member and at the bottom of the other main frame or sash side member opposite in relation to the first one, respectively. The releasable inter-connection of the mounting bar ( 1 ) with the bottom bar can be effected by means of clips.

The present invention relates to a universal mounting and parallelguidance arrangement for at least one screening device for a window, inparticular a roof window, where the screening device comprises a body ofscreening material which in an idle position is rolled up, collapsed, orpleated and occupies a position in or at a main frame or sash member ofthe window, whereas said body in a free end is connected to a bottombar, profile rail or strip.

It is well-known, eg. from FR patent application no. 2 615 240 and U.S.Pat. Nos. 612,606 and 785,806, that screening devices in the form ofblackout curtains, roller blinds, pleated blinds or Venetian blinds forwindows are built together with a parallel guidance arrangement which ina roller blind or pleated blind has e.g. two cord systems, each led fromthe bottom end of one sash side member through the bottom bar of theblind to the upper end of the opposite sash side member, the cordscrossing each other when passing through the bottom bar which is hollowin its entire length.

It is not unusual that especially the cord systems of these knownscreening devices create problems in connection with the mounting, asthe handling of the cords and in particular their positioning in thewindow sash are not always quite simple and evident, especially not ifprior to the mounting, the consumer draws the screening device entirelyout in order to have a better look of its colour, form or shape. Inaddition, the cords are rather easily tangled. Especially in blackoutcurtains where the screening arrangement also comprises light-proofstrips or rails along the sash sides, the mounting is often quitedifficult and time-consuming.

The object of the invention is to provide a mounting and parallelguidance arrangement of the initially stated kind where the saiddrawbacks are set right and which in a simple way can be mountedtogether with at least one screening device, whether a roller, pleated,or Venetian blind, and whether or not these are provided with a parallelguidance arrangement.

For this purpose, a universal mounting and parallel guidance arrangementaccording to the invention is characterized in that it comprises atleast one mounting bar having a through-going hollowness and designedfor a releasable interconnection with the bottom bar, profile rail orstrip of the screening device, two parallel guidance cord systems eachbeing led through said mounting bar and comprising end parts whichprotrude from each end of the stick, and installation brackets for thefree end of each of the said end parts whereby the two installationbrackets for a cord system are preferably meant for fastening at the topof a first main frame or sash side member and at the bottom of the othermain frame or sash side member opposite in relation to the first one,respectively.

Such a mounting and parallel guidance arrangement thus constitutes akind of a simple base module which can relatively easy be mounted alsoon already installed windows and can be used with the common screeningdevices in the form of roller, pleated, or Venetian blinds, andespecially such which are not beforehand provided with a parallelguidance arrangement. Such screening devices may e.g. comprise casings,cabinets, cassettes or the like designed with interconnection bracketswhich can easily be connected with the installation brackets in the basemodule.

In another appropriate embodiment of the arrangement according to theinvention, the parallel guidance cord systems are pretensioned,preferably by pretensioning springs positioned in connection with saidinstallation brackets or by elastic cords or alike.

A particularly good parallel guidance is thus obtained as between thesaid cord systems and the said mounting bar, a suitable friction willcontinuously be available for retaining the mounting bar in an arbitraryposition, also even if a body of screening material is connected.

According to an advantageous development of the invention, the basemodule can be designed with a view to electric operation of thescreening device by connecting the mounting bar with at least one drawcord which is in connection with an electric operation device comprisinga rewinding drum for the draw cord mounted in or at the main frame orsash top or bottom member.

Further details and advantages of the invention will appear from thedependent claims.

By means of examples of embodiments, the invention is further explainedin the following with reference to the schematical drawings where

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a mounting and parallel guidancearrangement according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a mounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to theinvention mounted in a window,

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a section of FIG. 2 on a larger scale,

FIG. 5 shows a detail of another embodiment for the arrangementaccording to the invention, and

FIG. 6 a view of a further embodiment for the mounting and parallelguidance arrangement according to the invention.

In FIG. 1, a mounting and parallel guidance arrangement is shown in itsdelivery condition where it constitutes a base module for use withscreening devices of various kinds. Such screening devices comprise, asmentioned in the beginning, a body of screening material which can berolled up (e.g. a roller blind), which can be collapsed (e.g. a Venetianblind) or which can be pleated (e.g. a pleated blind). The arrangementcomprises a mounting bar 1 which is hollow in its entire length, twoparallel guidance cords 2 and 3 led through the mounting bar 1 andinstallation brackets 4, 5, 6 and 7 in each of the free ends of thecords 2 and 3. One free end of the cord 2 is connected with thecorresponding installation bracket 4 through a pretensioning spring 8just as one free end of the cord 3 is connected with its installationbracket 5 through a corresponding spring 9.

An example of the mounting of the arrangement in a window, as shown inFIG. 1, will in the following be explained with reference to FIGS. 2-4.

The bracket 4 is fastened to the sash of the window shown in FIG. 2 andcomprising a bottom member 10, a top member 11 and two side members 12,13, by means of a bracket 14 fastened to the side member 12 near the topmember 11. The bracket 14 can as indicated in FIG. 3 be designed as asnap lock for releasable engagement with the bracket 4. The oppositeside sash member 13 is mounted with a bracket reversed in relation tothe bracket 14, but designed in a corresponding way for engagement withthe bracket 5 Subsequently, the brackets 6 and 7 are fastened to eachtheir side sash member 13 and 12 at the sash bottom member 10 by meansof brackets of which the left bracket 17 is shown in FIG. 4 and alsodesigned as mutually reversed snap locks in order to obtain the positionshown in FIG. 2.

A screening device can then in a manner known per se be fastenedoptionally, e.g. at the top sash member 11, and its screening body drawnout from its inactive position whereupon the bottom bar, profile rail orstrip of the screening device are connected with the mounting bar 1,e.g. by means of clips. When moving a thus mounted screening device, thebottom bar will all the time be essentially parallel to the bottom andtop member of both the sash and the main frame. The pretensioningsprings 8 and 9 ensure that the parallel guidance cords 2 and 3 aretensioned all the time. These springs need, of course, not be positionedas illustrated, but can e.g. be built in the very bracket 4 in such away that they are not immediately visible seen from the outside.

When using the mounting and parallel guidance arrangement with ablackout curtain, e.g. of the roller blind kind, separate lateral guiderails 18, 19, as shown in FIG. 5 where the mounting and parallelguidance arrangement is left out-for the sake of clarity, can be mountedon the side sash members 12, 13 for increased light-proofness. As anexample, the lower ends of the guide rails 18, 19 can be connected tothe lower brackets 17 and having been adjusted to the upper brackets 14,the rails 18, 19 are screwed firmly to the side sash members 12, 13. Thebottom bar of the roller blind is subsequently guided into the top ofthe rails 18, 19 followed by a part of the screening body of the rollerblind, i.e. the cloth, whereupon the roller tube of the roller blindtogether with a cover strip are fastened to the upper brackets 14.Finally, the bottom bar of the roller blind is, as described in theabove, connected to the mounting bar 1 in the base module.

Alternatively, the mounting is initiated by fastening the lower brackets6, 7 of the mounting and parallel guidance arrangement to each of theirsash members 13, 12 at the sash bottom member 10 by means of thebrackets 17.

In case the screening device has not yet been mounted in the window, itis placed with e.g. its top casing, e.g. a curtain cassette in the caseof a roller blind, at the top sash member 11.

The upper brackets 4, 5 of the mounting and parallel guidancearrangement can then be connected with the top casing of the screeningdevice by each bracket 4,5 retaining the top casing to the brackets 14of the side sash members via end parts or insertion components for thescreening devices.

Subsequently, the separate side guide rails 18, 19 can be mounted ande.g. be fixed by means of screws whereupon the bottom bar of thescreening device, as in the above, is connected with the mounting bar inthe mounting and parallel guidance arrangement.

The upper brackets 4, 5 can also be designed in such a way that they aremerely connected with the casing of the screening device without thisbeing retained to the window, e.g. by snap engagement whereby the sideguide rails 18, 19 result in retaining the top casing to the window.

To all the mounting examples described in the above, it applies,however, that at any time, the mounting and the parallel guidancearrangement can usually be demounted without demounting the entirescreening device.

It is also conceivable that the arrangement comprises a furtherscreening body which at its one end is connected with the mounting barand which at its free end is provided with a bottom bar, profile rail orstrip for optional connection with either the mounting bar, i.e. insituations where the screening body is not used, or with the mountingbracket on the main frame or sash side members of the window when thescreening body is in use.

The arrangement with the additional screening body comprises in thatcase a specially designed bottom bar, profile rail or strip being hollowover the entire length and where two parallel guidance cord systemsindividually can again be led through the said special bottom bar,profile rail or strip in such a way that the free ends of the said cordsystems with the mounting brackets are fastened e.g. to the adjacentmain frame or sash side members.

In the first case, there is obtained a possibility of mounting theadditional screening body together with the usual screening body of thescreening device in a simple way, and if these bodies are selected in anappropriate way, e.g. as to colour, translucence, etc., this implies, ofcourse, a strongly increased flexibility in the use of the arrangement.In the latter case, there is further obtained the quality that theadditional screening body in a simple way via the double parallelguidance can be positioned optionally in the window opening to cover anoptional part hereof.

Both the mounting bar and the bottom bar can be provided with retainingmembers of which some contribute to the establishment of ainterconnection between the two bars, especially in situations where thescreening body is not to be used. Other retaining elements contribute tothe establishing of a connection e.g. to a cover strip or casing for thefirst screening device.

The two bars permit a parallel guidance of each of these bars so thatthey may move independently in relation to each other.

Another not illustrated way of using the universal mounting and parallelguidance arrangement is to apply two or more several arrangements at thesame time.

Between the mounting bars in the two adjacent arrangements, anindependent screening device can be situated as a supplement to thescreening device or devices positioned above and/or below in the window.

In FIG. 6, a development of the mounting and parallel guidancearrangement according to the invention is shown and provided at thelower sash member with a driving device known per se from WO 96/22447.

In this figure, only the mounting bar 1 of the mounting and parallelguidance arrangement is shown and said bar is connected by means ofclips 20, 21 with the bottom bar 22 of a roller blind with a length ofscreening material which above is rolled up on a roller 24 which viabrackets 25 is fastened to the sash top member.

The driving device comprises an electric drive motor 26 with a notfurther shown gear unit and is via a motor shaft 27 connected with arolling-up device in the form of a drum 28. Two draw cords 29 and 30 arewith one end connected with the mounting bar 1 and with another end viaguide rolls 31, 32 led to and entwined round the drum 28. The two drawcords 29 and 30 may be replaced by one single cord which in that case isled through the entire mounting bar 1.

The drum is designed with threaded sections having mutually oppositepitch directions and each being in engagement with a nut element 33, 34with corresponding thread. The nut elements 33, 34 are axiallydisplaceable in relation to each other.

When rolling down the roller blind, the motor 26 drives the drum 28 viathe motor shaft 27 and the nut elements 33, 34 move away from each otherduring simultaneous winding up of the draw cords 29, 30 which are beingplaced in the treads in each drum section whereby the mounting bar 1 andthus the bottom bar of the roller blind is drawn downwards in thedirection of the bottom member of the sash and/or the main frame.

What is claimed is:
 1. A universal mounting and parallel guidancearrangement for at least one screening device for a window, where thescreening device comprises a body of screening material which in an idleposition is rolled up, collapsed, or pleated and occupies a position inor at a main frame or sash member of the window, whereas said body has afree end connected to a bottom bar, profile rail or strip characterizedin that the arrangement comprises: at least one mounting bar (1) havinga throughbore; a releasable interconnection engaging said mounting barfor releasably connecting said mounting bar directly to the bottom bar,profile rail or strip of the screening device; two parallel guidancecord systems (2, 3) each being led through said mounting bar andcomprising end parts which protrude from each end of the mounting bar;and installation brackets (4-7) for the free end of each of the said endparts by which the two installation brackets (4, 6; 5, 7) for a cordsystem are fastenable at the top of a first main frame or sash sidemember and at the bottom of the other main frame or sash side memberopposite in relation to the first one, respectively.
 2. A mounting andparallel guidance arrangement according to claim 1, characterized inthat the parallel guidance cord systems (2, 3) are tensioned.
 3. Amounting and parallel guidance arrangement according claim 1,characterized in that the releasable interconnection comprises clips. 4.A mounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that each said installation bracket (4-7) connectedwith the respective free cord end is attached by a snap interconnectionto a fixed bracket in the form of a premountable bracket (14, 17)adapted to be fastened on a main frame or sash side member.
 5. Amounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that said installation bracket connected with therespective free cord end for each cord system is adapted for releasableinterconnection with a casing for the screening device.
 6. A mountingand parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 5, characterized inthat said installation bracket is adapted for interconnection with afixed bracket in the form of a premountable bracket to be fastened to amain frame or sash side member via an insertion component in each end ofthe casing of the screening device for its retaining to the main frameor sash member.
 7. A mounting and parallel guidance arrangementaccording to claim 1 and for use with a blackout curtain, characterizedin that it also comprises light-proof side guide rails (18, 19) to bemounted on the opposite main frame or sash side members (12, 13).
 8. Amounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 7,characterized in that said side guide rails are adapted forinterconnection with at least one installation bracket (17).
 9. Amounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 1,characterized in that the mounting bar (1) is connected with at leastone draw cord (29, 30) which is in connection with an electric operationdevice comprising a rewinding drum (28) for the draw cord mounted in orat the main frame or sash top or bottom member.
 10. A mounting andparallel guidance arrangement according to claim 1, in which theparallel guidance cord systems are tensioned by a means for tensioning.11. A mounting and parallel guidance arrangement according to claim 10wherein the tensioning means comprises pretensioned springs connected tosaid installation brackets.
 12. A universal mounting and parallelguidance arrangement in combination with at least one screening devicefor a window, where the screening device comprises a body of screeningmaterial which in an idle position is rolled up, collapsed, or pleatedand occupies a position in or at a main frame or sash member of thewindow, whereas said body has a free end connected to a bottom bar,profile rail or strip characterized in that the arrangement comprises:at least one mounting bar (1) having a throughbore; a releasableinterconnection between said mounting bar and the bottom bar, profilerail or strip of the screening device; two parallel guidance cordsystems (2, 3) each being led through said mounting bar and comprisingend parts which protrude from each end of the mounting bar; andinstallation brackets (4-7) for the free end of each of the said endparts by which the two installation brackets (4, 6; 5, 7) for a cordsystem are fastenable at the top of a first main frame or sash sidemember and at the bottom of the other main frame or sash side memberopposite in relation to the first one, respectively.